When it comes to social media, there are many advantages. Teens, for example, may keep in touch with friends who have moved away and interact with others who share common interests. They can also use social media to establish a positive online identity that impresses colleges and potential employers. For better parenting, I recommend you to list the signs of some healthy and unhealthy friendships in social media and discuss them with your child.

Social media has been a huge part of our lives. It has made us connect with new people, places, and cultures. Using social media, you can connect with your old friends or, even better, make new friends and families.

However, building friendships on social media can be tricky. There is no direct physical contact, and you can’t completely comprehend the person’s intention just through text messages. So, cannot keep track of the situation of your friendship.

Here I have written down the signs of an unhealthy friendship on social media, and also, if you think you are in one, I have written down the ways to improve the friendship.

Signs you are in an unhealthy Friendship in Social Media

Shames you in Public Comments and Group Chats

If you are wrong, a true friend should criticize you in private but always protect you. The same goes for your social media friends.

Suppose your friend is always criticizing you in public comments and saying bad things about your post in the comments. Likewise, they try to humiliate you in a group chat and make other people rise against you. Then your friendship is unhealthy.

Constant Comments on your Look

Positive feedback is always appreciated. Positive feed does not always mean saying good things about you. It refers to constructive criticism that helps you to grow and improve. There is a fine line between constructive criticism and being mean.

So if you feel like your friend is criticizing the way you look, which makes you feel bad about yourself rather than motivated to improve, then your friendship is unhealthy.

Backhanded Compliments

Have you ever received comments on your social media posts like “The dress you are wearing looks great for someone like you” or “You are looking pretty for a hair like that”?

These comments sound like compliments from the surface level, but in reality, these are not compliments. These compliments look subtle but are brutal. Backhanded compliments are filled with jealousy and hatred. So, if your friend is giving you backhanded compliments, then your relationship with them might be unhealthy.

Negging

Negging means negative feedback. It refers to giving a neutral statement to someone that includes an insult. It refers to a situation when someone undermines your confidence in a twisted way to make you vulnerable to their advances. Negging can also seem like a backhanded compliment.

So if your friend constantly criticizes you, seems like a narcissist, always makes a joke about you, you are being negged and is another sign of an unhealthy friendship.

Undermines your Self-esteem

Does your friend give you criticism in such a way that makes you feel worthless? Such comments can deteriorate your self-esteem and make you loathe yourself.

If your friend is making you feel that way, I highly recommend you stay away from them. They not only criticize you but are also degrading your mental health. So run away from them as fast as you can.

Always Craving for their Approval

You are about to post something on your social media. If the first thing that comes to your mind is whether a particular person will approve of it or not, that is not a sign of a healthy friendship.

This craving for approval shows that your friend is subconsciously manipulating you and gaining control of everything in the unhealthy relationship. If you find yourself relying on your friend’s approval on every post to feel secure in the friendship, that’s a sign that you are in an unhealthy friendship.

Compares you to others

Let me remind you of something. Did you like it when your parents compared you with your cousin or relatives’ children? Did you enjoy it when your teacher compared you with other students? No, absolutely no. It’s because it made you feel bad about yourself.

So, when your friend compares you with other people on social media, then absolutely that makes you feel about yourself, and that’s not a sign of a healthy friendship.

Makes you feel insecure about yourself

If someone makes you feel insecure, then that is not your friend. A true friend always lifts you even when you are feeling down about yourself. They will understand you and try to do their best to make you feel good and uplift you.

But instead of uplifting you, your friend is always undermining you. They are always condescending. They are criticizing the way you look and make you feel bad about your own body. Then, you are in an unhealthy friendship.

No Trust in Friendship

Trust is a ground rule for any relationship. Even if your friend is complimenting you, saying good things about you, and uplifting you, and you still don’t trust them, that is not a sign of a healthy friendship.  So, if you both don’t trust one another, then you can’t build a friendship.

Has no Time for you

I am not saying that they should be 24/7 present for you. I know they are your friends, not customer care. But whenever you are trying to chat to them, if the response is “I’m busy,” and they don’t even make an effort to get back to you later, that is probably a sign of an unhealthy friendship.

Saying “I’m Busy” now and then is excusable. But if your friends find an excuse every time you try to have a conversation with them, they might not even want to be your friend.   

You are always the Bud of a Joke

What are friends for other than making fun of you? It’s like the first rule of friendship that you have to make fun of each other. But, if only you are the constant bud of the joke and your friend makes fun of your insecurities and always tries you humiliate you around others, then you are in an unhealthy friendship.

Read More: Signs you are in an unhealthy relationship

What should you do when you are in an unhealthy friendship?

Social media destroy the relationship unknowingly. So, if you’ve noticed the signs mentioned above, then you must be realizing that you are in an unhealthy friendship. If you are trying to improve your unhealthy friendship, the best thing you can do is address the problem head-on by telling your friend what and how you are feeling.

Your friend’s reaction will say it all: if they’re stunned, shocked, and are thinking to work on their behavior, then there is a huge chance that your friendship might improve. But if your friend starts to dismiss your feelings and tries to blame the whole situation on you, then you should get the hell out of that friendship immediately.

Final Thought

Friendship is one of the most important things in life. If you choose the right friend, they will help you to succeed. But if your friend circle is unhealthy, it will bring nothing but chaos in your life. So, if your friend publicly humiliates you, makes you feel insecure about yourself, constantly negs you, and has no time for you, then you are in an unhealthy friendship.

The best way to improve an unhealthy friendship is by being straightforward and talking to them directly. If they understand you and are thinking about working on their behavior, then your friendship can flourish. But if the blame shifts on you, then you need to get out of that friendship.

These are some of the signs of unhealthy friendship in social media. Try to get rid of these kinds of toxic friends as soon as possible.